Life Examined

Lisa Damour, psychologist and author of “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents,” addresses some of the common perceptions and misconceptions around raising teens. Damour addresses the impact of social media and societal pressures on teen mental health and advocates for a balanced approach, acknowledging both the benefits and potential risks associated with digital engagement. Despite societal concerns about social media and mental health, Damour says parents today are raising the safest generation of teens on record - less pregnancy, smoking, drinking and accidents. Damour suggests parents can support their adolescents through their formative years by validating their children's feelings, and providing a stable presence. Establishing trusting relationships and maintaining active involvement in their lives can help teens navigate challenges more effectively. Guest: Lisa Damour. Psychologist and author of “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents.”   

Explore the fascinating connection between mind and body in athletic performance. Discover how belief can shatter perceived limits, with Roger Bannister's iconic four-minute mile as a powerful example. Journalist Alex Hutchinson reveals that breaking through physical barriers often hinges more on mental strength than sheer ability, encouraging athletes to rethink their own capabilities. Get inspired to push boundaries and redefine what’s possible in sport and beyond!

Owen Flanagan, professor of philosophy and neurobiology at Duke University and author of “What Is It Like to Be an Addict? Understanding Substance Abuse” reflects on his life as an alcoholic and explores the brain science and individual complexities behind why we become addicted. Flanagan addresses the role of the individual and agency and is critical of those who maintain that addiction is a disease of the brain. When it comes to treatment, Flanagan says community, compassion and love are key factors in maintaining long term sobriety.   Guest: Owen Flanagan  Professor of philosophy and neurobiology at Duke University and author of “What Is It Like to Be an Addict? Understanding Substance Abuse.” 

This week, polar scientist, explorer and author of “Life Lessons From Explorers: Learn how to weather life’s storms from history’s greatest explorers” Felicity Aston reflects on her experience of leading a failed North Pole expedition and the time it’s taken her to face and process that failure. Aston uses the example of the historical Scottish explorer David Livingston to show how much can be gained from time and perspective and to illustrate the challenge of balancing success and failure in exploration and in life.  

Polar scientist Felicity Aston reflects on her fascination with exploration; shares lessons on survival, risk, and adventure.  Guest: Felicity Aston Polar scientist, first woman to ski solo across Antarctica and author of “Life Lessons From Explorers: Learn how to weather life’s storms from history’s greatest explorers.” and “Polar Exposure: An All-Women’s Expedition to the North Pole.”    

This week, psychologist and author of “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents,” Lisa Damour addresses one of the toughest challenges in parenting - communicating and connecting with teenage children. When it comes to exactly what that means, Damour suggests that parents typically see communicating with their teens as an opportunity to impose their ideas or agendas and that’s a mistake.  What most kids want is to be able to share what they enjoy with their parents - like music. Day to day, teens communicate best when there is a steady presence and when parents communicate with comfort and empathy and without an agenda.

David Whyte, a celebrated poet known for his work on the transformative power of language, discusses a myriad of profound topics. He dives into the emotional spectrum that poetry can evoke, sharing personal anecdotes, including time spent in the Himalayas. The conversation tackles contemporary anxiety, the importance of vulnerability, and how confronting mortality can lead to self-discovery. With humor and heartfelt reflections, Whyte underscores poetry's role in fostering resilience and joy in life's complexities.

This week, writer and author of Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story, Leslie Jamison reflects on her childhood marriage fantasy and says when it comes to love and marriage we all want that perfect Hollywood ending. However all too often marriages don’t actually work like that but Jamison points out that even when the love is gone from a marriage - as she saw with her own parents, the mutual respect and friendship remained..and that too can be an equally wonderful gift. 

Episode description: Jonathan Bastian talks with Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, professor of psychology and neuroscience and director of the Emotion Regulation Lab at Hunter College, about the anxiety epidemic and her book “Future Tense; Why Anxiety Is Good for You (Even Though It Feels Bad).”   “Anxiety is a feature of being human,” Dennis-Tiwary says. “It’s not a bug, it's not a malfunction. We can learn and work through it.”  Delve deeper into life, philosophy, and what makes us human by joining the Life Examined discussion group on Facebook.

This week, cognitive scientist and professor of psychology at Yale University Lori Santos explains that negative emotions are very much part of the human experience and essential to leading a happy life. Leaning into these emotions and accepting them is better for us than trying to dismiss or suppress them.